Luke 13:22-30: ‘Are we narrow-minded about the afterlife?’

Sometimes religions are pictured as being different paths going up a mountain.  Islam is one path, Buddhism is another, and Christianity is yet another again.  Though the paths look different they all arrive in the same place.  It’s a picture that the world sees as wonderfully tolerant but it actually makes little sense.  For supposing the end of the paths is the afterlife.  Those different religions portray very different existences for their followers beyond this world.  In Buddhism, after many reincarnations, you hope for Nirvana—which is like extinction, ‘the complete cessation or both desire and personality.’  Muslims look forward to a paradise filled with wine, women and song.  Christians will spend eternity with the God who has invited me to call him ‘Father’, and to enjoy him with his people for ever.  If those paths up the mountain are leading to the same place then some of the travellers are in for a big surprise.

Jesus uses a very different picture of going towards the afterlife.  It is a picture that many in our world think is intolerant.  It is the picture of a narrow door.  As we look at these verses we will see that there is just one door, it is narrow, and that it won’t be open forever.

1. There is just one door

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, where he is going to die for the sin of the world.  On his way he goes through the towns and villages teaching.  Someone asks him a question, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’

This was a question the rabbis of the time used to debate.  Notice how Jesus responds.  He doesn’t immediately enter into speculation, he applies the matter personally.  Will many be saved?  Make every effort to enter through the narrow door….  We might ask, ‘will heaven be full of people?’  He might respond, ‘make sure you are one of them!’

The picture isn’t that of entering a sports stadium, where you can go through any of the turnstiles to get in.  The picture is of a single entrance, one door.  Christianity makes exclusive claims.  Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).  The early disciples proclaimed, “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

2. The door is narrow

I wonder if the picture of the door being narrow is to give us the impression that it takes intent to pass through.  If you are going to pass through a narrow door then you will need to focus on where the door is and move towards it with purpose.  It is also pointed out that you go through a narrow door one by one.  We don’t end up in God’s kingdom by chance; we end up in God’s kingdom by choice.

We are not saved by the circumstances of our life.  We are not saved because we were born into a Christian family or attend a Christian church.  We are saved through repentance and faith.  The Bible says that we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way (Is. 53:6a).  On our own we are rebels who walk apart from God, who resist his rule and live for ourselves.  Jesus commanded people to repent and believe (Mark 1:15).  He calls us to turn back to God and enthrone him as our king!

Make every effort…  ‘Strive to enter’ (ESV).  The point is that we are to be wholehearted in this.  You might strive for promotion in work; you might strive to be respected in the community; you might strive to be the best parent possible; you might strive in sports or hobbies; but if you don’t strive to enter through the narrow door you will end up in Hell.  Make it your priority to enter through the narrow door!

It takes intent to enter through the narrow door and life following Jesus involves a whole-hearted commitment but the actual passing through that door is not difficult.  The door has been opened and going through an open door is easy.  Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem where he would die for the sins of the world.  He does not ask us to make up for our guilt; he has dealt with our guilt upon the cross.  He calls us to enthrone him as our king, but he is the one who enables us to live as his people. 

3. The door will not always be open

Ruth and Naomi were involved in a car crash this week.  They slide off the icy road into a field, as the car rolled over Ruth thought she was about to die.  After she emerged from the car she said, ‘people believe that you will think about God before you die but you don’t.’  She pointed out how foolish people are to think that they might turn to God at the last moment.  Many people who intend to turn to Jesus at the eleventh hour die at ten-thirty.

Jesus warns his listeners about the door being closed.  In this life we have the opportunity to turn to Jesus.  Beyond this life, if we have not turned to him, there simply awaits the fearful prospect of judgement.  The Jesus who offered to be our Saviour will instead judge us for our sin.

There is a particular warning here for those who have heard sermons and Bible teaching.  Those who are locked out say, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.”  They had encountered Jesus, they had listened to his truth, but they had not taken the step of knowing him personally.  How sad it is when someone comes to church week after week but doesn’t enthrone Jesus as their king.  All that church-going will be for nothing.

It is not fashionable to talk about Hell these days.  People oppose a ‘turn or burn’ style of preaching.  We think that we would be better putting the Christian message in a more positive light.  But no-one in the Bible speaks of Hell more than Jesus.  He spoke about Hell in order to urge people to flee from it.  I remember a friend telling me that he was reading a book about Hell being a motivation for evangelism.  When we think of this consequence of sin we should be all the more keen to warn people of their need for Jesus—we should be all the more determined to tell them to make every effort to enter through the narrow door while they still have time.

Hell is an awful reality.  Jesus speaks of fire, highlighting the agonising awareness of God’s displeasure; outer darkness pointing to the loss of God and all that is good in this life; and here we see weeping and gnashing of teeth, pointing to regret and self-loathing.

Conclusion—the door may be narrow but it is open to all

Society tells us that it is arrogant to talk of such things as a narrow door and an exclusive way of salvation.  However, I wonder if it is actually the world that is arrogant.

Imagine a conversation where people are discussing an issue.  They all admit that they have a limited knowledge of this topic.  Then in walks a world expert in the field, a professor who has spent his life examining the subject.  The people hear his verdict but immediately dismiss it as nonsense for no other reason that it doesn’t fit into their view of the world.  Who is being arrogant, the expert or the crowd?

Jesus is more knowledgeable than any professor.  He is the expert on the subject of salvation.  He has said that the door is narrow.  He has declared that he is the only way.  Are people not being arrogant to place their opinion above the testimony from heaven?

Finally, Jesus points out that many will indeed be saved.  People will come from the east and the west and north and south and take their place at the feast of the kingdom of God.  Many of those who listened would have assumed that salvation was only for their people, the Jews; but Jesus says that people from all over the world will experience it.  Many people this crowd would have excluded, because they had the wrong background, will be included; and many they would have included, because they had the right pedigree and reputation, will miss out.  The narrow door is open to all, whatever your culture, background or reputation.  So make it your priority to enter, and let’s seek the courage to share this truth with as many as we can while we can.